New England EJ Forum

We are hosting the New England Environmental Justice Forum’s first Rhode Island EJ Summit!

Saturday, November 9th, 2013
8:30am-4:30pm

Location: Southside Cultural Center, 393 Broad St, Providence, RI 02907 (where Broad St and Elmwood Ave meet)

Join community members from across New England to strengthen the Environmental Justice movement in our region!  Workshop topics include: climate change resiliency, environmental justice and racial profiling, strategies for healthy urban land and water, and much more!  Separate workshop track for kids (ages 6-12) and childcare provided!  Held as part of the New England Environmental Justice Forum. 

Register online with form below or call (401) 383-7441
Registra via el internet aqui o llama al (401) 383-7441

Schedule:

8:30am – Breakfast and Registration

9-10am- Welcomes and Group/Individual Introductions

10-10:45am- Forming a regional New England EJ identity — participate in a fun activity to learn more about the environmental justice history of our region and discuss what binds us together in common identity!

11am-12:30pm- Workshops
#1 –  Environmental Justice and Sustainability – Learn about how the Environmental Justice League and the City of Providence’s Office of Sustainability worked together to create a 30-minute film interviewing Providence residents about their perspectives on “sustainability” as a way to inform the creation of the City’s first Sustainability Action Plan.  The workshop will include a discussion on strategies to ensure environmental justice is integrated into municipal sustainability efforts.  Workshop leaders: Sheila Dormody, Director, Office of Sustainability, City of Providence, and Jamie Topper, Public Humanities Graduate Student and Environmental Justice League’s work-study intern.

#2 – Community Organizing Strategies for Environmental Health –  Learn from two examples of organizing work in Rhode Island to prevent childhood lead poisoning and create meaningful opportunities for public participation in the cleanup of contaminated sites, particularly sites near public schools.  Also learn more about Rhode Island’s new School Siting Law.  Share your stories of successful organizing strategies to protect people’s health and improve the environment in your community.  Workshop leaders: Laura Brion, Community Organizer, Childhood Lead Action Project, Saylina Jackson Anderson, Central Falls resident, activist, and parent of a lead-poisoned child, and Holly Dygert, parent of student at the International Charter School in Pawtucket, RI.

#3 – Building Coalitions Against Racial Profiling – Racial profiling is a clear example of policies that target communities of color and lead to racial inequality.  In this discussion-based workshop, learn about local coalitions and campaigns against racial profiling including a recent protest that stopped NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly (creator of NYC’s Stop and Frisk policy) from speaking at Brown University.  Share your own organizing stories and participate in a conversation about how EJ issues fit in with building cross-movement coalitions against racism and oppression.  Workshop leaders: Misty Wilson (EJ League Board Member), Jenny Li (PrYSM) and members of the Coalition Against Racial Profiling.

#4 – Energy Justice in New England– What are some creative solutions to our energy problems?The energy we use in New England is causing major problems for frontline EJ communities: coal from mountaintop removal, oil from tar sands and war zones, gas from fracking… but energy solutionaries are responding by confronting the fossil fuel industry and creating new models.   In this workshop we’ll integrate story telling, multimedia, and hip-hop spoken word to tell you about some of the battlelines being drawn and new models being developed:  shutting down dirty energy plants, blockades, renewable power, green jobs, waste veggie oil fueled vehicles, artivist cultural sustainability work, triple bottom line energy efficiency companies, fossil fuel divestment campaigns,  co-op economics, and more. Workshop leaders: Julian Rodríguez-Drix and Abismael Vargas (Environmental Justice League) with Tem Blessed (Hip-Hop Artist who co-creates socially conscious music and culture about social justice and sustainability. Tem is Regional Outreach Manager at Next Step Living ).

Separate kids’ workshop track (ages 6-12) – will focus on food justice, waste and recycling, and principles of environmental justice — and will be lots of fun!

12:30-2pm- Lunch, activities, music, and networking!  Hang out, take a brisk November walk, join a lunchtime discussion table on a specific topic, or go eat by yourself!  It’s all good.

2-3:30pm- Climate Change Resiliency: Panel and Group Discussion — how can our communities be more resilient in the face of a changing climate?  Hear from the invited speakers and then help brainstorm ideas in small groups with other conference participants!  Panelists:  Dara Bayer (Confluence Network co-founder, Boston Public School Teacher), Julia Gold  (RI Department of Health’s Climate Change Adaptation Project), and Ilena Williams (Friends of Bucklin Park, Providence resident who co-led a climate resiliency project in the West Elmwood neighborhood).  Panel moderated by  Elizabeth Hoover, PhD (Brown University Center for Study of Race and Ethnicity; EJ League Board Member)

3:30-4pm- Closing and first annual EJ League Awards!

4-4:30pm- EJ League Annual Meeting (elections of board members and officers) — feel free to stay and join us or hit the road!